From the August 2014 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine


He suggests that any facility utilizing third party repair options get validation in writing that states the devices repaired can be cleaned and sterilized using the reprocessing instructions they provide and will perform according to the specifications of a new device.

The company has field service technicians available throughout most of the country to carry out minor repairs, exchange rigid and flexible endoscopes, provide preventative maintenance service and conduct in-service education programs for staff. Onsite technicians are another option. The obvious benefit they deliver is the immediacy of support.


The company also offers customizable service and no-fault service plans and asset management programs. Yates acknowledges that the impact of the Affordable Care Act on hospital spending has still yet to be fully realized, but capped operating budgets and tight restriction on capital dollars will likely be with us well into the future.

Therefore, while tempting, Yates believes it is critical for hospitals to weigh the balance between short-term savings through independent repair services versus long-term savings that can be realized through a comprehensive service and repair contract. That decision can also have repercussions for patient care. Yates cites ECRI Institute’s top ten patient safety concerns for 2014 as proof of the risk, with inadequate reprocessing of endoscopes and surgical instruments making that list.

When a facility is considering repair options by non-OEM service providers, Yates suggests they ask the service organization these questions:

1. What impact will repairs by your company have on the OEM warranty?

2. How does your repair warranty compare to the original manufacturer’s warranty?

3. For devices that must be reprocessed and/or sterilized, can you provide me with documentation that the repaired devices are validated for sterilization?

4. Because the KARL STORZ IFU are invalid upon third-party repair, it will require new instructions for use from your company in order to maintain compliance. Will your company provide new IFU for repaired devices?

“A better solution is to carefully consider the total cost of ownership at the time the capital decision is made, and then hold the endoscope and equipment supplier strictly responsible for their devices’ performance and cost over their expected lifetime,” he says.

To illustrate his point, Yates offered an example of a situation where a hospital did take the long-term approach. “The surgery program manager at a hospital named a 100 Top Hospital for 11 years, recently prepared a report on that facility’s experiences and achievement from implementing Protection1 solutions. In addition to eliminating 95 percent of all issues that previously posed ongoing daily challenges (issues relating to quality, safety and cost effectiveness), equipment repair turnaround time was reduced from three weeks to 24 hours, and surgeon complaints decreased from 40 per month to none at all.”

August 2014 Magazine

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